Earmarks: A Weak Issue?
There’s an interesting detail in September 4th’s ABC News poll that speaks directly to the effectiveness of the current skirmish over earmarks. Here’s the question:
For each item I name, please tell me if it makes you think more favorably toward Palin, less favorably, or if it doesn’t change your opinion of her one way or another. . . As mayor she obtained 27 million dollars in federal funding for projects in her town of about 7,000 people
The responses are more than a little surprising. 32% of respondents thought it made her more favorable, 19% thought it made her less favorable, and 49% had no opinion or didn’t know. No wonder the size of the federal budget has ballooned; 81% didn’t care or thought it was a good thing. Perhaps it’s just that voters are reserving judgment until they know something about what the money was for. The general case against earmarks does appear to be weak, though.
